This week I have started a little personal project to explore the world of collage.

I’m specifically exploring how I can incorporate collage techniques into mixed media artworks.

To do this I am planning on making a collage a day for 100 days!

I am using the course “Celebrate Your Creative self- mixed media art class 100 days of collage”. This course will help guide me through this process. It is available on @skillshare by the lovely teacher @froyleart .

The course is guiding me on my journey with inspiration, ideas and prompts.

Here are my first 5 days of collage!

On day one I repurposed old paintings and artwork to make a new collage. I looked through my stash of old paintings and drawings that I no longer wanted or wasn’t happy with. I tore them up to make a brand-new collage! Why not try this technique yourself? Instead of throwing work away that you don’t love why not consider turning it into something new? It’s a good way of finding what parts of your work that did work for you. Maybe you liked the colours? Or the textures? Use the parts you like in a collage in your journal.

On day two, the challenge was to find at least 5 found papers from around my home. This was a good way to open up my mind about what can be considered collage fodder. I used paper bags, receipts, book pages, music paper, and tissue paper in my piece. What kind of papers do you have lying around your home that can be used in an artwork? Think of junk mail, prescriptions, business cards, wine bottle labels, colouring book pages or old newspapers and magazines. The possibilities are endless.

On day three I explored colour. I used papers in my artwork that had colours I was drawn to. This was a good way to explore what colours I like and what go well together. We looked at warm tones versus cool tones and whether we liked to mix tones in our work. As you can see, I like many bright colours! I like magenta and blue together and I also love metallic colours. What kind of colours are you drawn to? You could find you like bright colours and metallics like me. Or maybe you are more drawn to black and white or vintage sepia tones? There is no right or wrong answer, just experiment and go with your gut!

On day four, I experimented with shapes. We explored what kind of shapes we liked and had to include at least two different shapes in our collage. I was definitely drawn to circles, and I also like curved abstract shapes. I find that in a lot of my life drawing pieces I am drawn to circles and curves. I tried to emulate this in my collage. Do you have any shapes that you are drawn to in your artwork. Or maybe you enjoy certain shapes when decorating your home? Try incorporating these shapes into your collage.

On Day Five, I tried using mark-making tools. The challenge was to use at least two types of paper and two different mark-making tools. I used mixed media gel sticks and acrylic paint pens to create marks. I also used metallic craft paper, gel plate prints and scraps from old collages. For my mark making I am drawn to ascetic writing. This is script type shapes that are not actually a true written language. I also enjoy dots and crosses. What kind of mark making tools are you drawn to? Try using them in your next collage. It’s as simple as a biro or as complicated as a quill and ink!

So far, this challenge has been a great way to loosen up, explore techniques and make a mess! I have enjoyed working in an art journal. This is because It takes away some of the pressure to be perfect or for work to be exhibited. It is a personal project with no purpose other than to experiment, have fun and learn something new!

Have you ever challenged yourself to 100 days of art? Let me know if you fancy giving a 100-day challenge a go, too!